AFTER just five minutes Rabbitohs talisman Greg Inglis lay motionless on the turf as medicos checked his vital signs. It was a vital sign of the carnage to come, a grubby spree of high shots and cheap tricks that should only be found at the end of a 1970s time warp.

Five players on report, three more off with concussion, two sin-binnings, a knee to the head, a sneaky leg twist and a forward battle with bitter personal undertones.News_Rich_Media: South Sydney fullback Greg Inglis was forced from the field after a strong tackle from Tim Simona knocked him out.

This was the type of street fight synonymous with South Sydney’s monsters, yet it was the NRL’s most under-rated pack that landed all the telling blows.

Routinely written-off for being too small and too soft, Wests Tigers forwards stood up and trounced their more vaunted rivals in a wickedly spiteful contest that saw Tim Simona, George Burgess, Bryson Goodwin, Robbie Farah and James Gavet all placed on report.

News_Image_File: Greg Inglis is looked at by the trainers after copping a head shot.

Simona also joined teammate Pat Richards and Inglis in the concussion ward, with South Sydney failing to register a point for 72 minutes after losing their superstar fullback.

Inglis could not satisfactorily recover his senses after Simona crunched him high while he was juggling a bomb.

And neither could Souths. For the remaining 75 minutes they stumbled and bumbled in a collective concussion, failing to find touch with penalty kicks spilling routine passes and completing at just 40 percent.

To make matters worse, hooker Issac Luke departed the field just before full time with a serious shoulder injury.News_Rich_Media: Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter and captain Robbie Farah reflect on the thrashing of South Sydney.

The relentless aggression from their opponents deserves credit for inflicting such a rare malfunction upon Michael Maguire’s machine.

It translated to ill-discipline as the match wore on, with Tigers fullback James Tedesco repeatedly struck in the head.

Furious Wests players refused to accept the treatment, with Gavet kneeing Burgess in the head and twisting the leg of Luke. In the end the referees lost patience, marching Luke Burgess and Luke Brooks to the sin-bin in the final 10 minutes.

“I think it probably got a little bit out of control,” Farah said. “I don’t think they were happy with losing the game. They are not used to losing games - they’re a successful side.”

News_Image_File: Tim Simona celebrates a try with David Nofoaluma.

Despite their youth, the Tigers did a remarkably better job of keeping their heads. Brooks and Tedesco were once again inspirational, combining for the match-winner in the 53rd minute, while Simona and Richards grabbed doubles.

After conceding a third minute try to Ben Lowe, the Tigers purred to life when Inglis left. By halftime they were roaring ahead 14-6, with the interval arriving as an unwanted circuit breaker to their momentum.

Three ties was a fair first half dividend for the home side, while Souths could not summon the structured style that’s transformed them into a premiership force amid the mayhem.News_Rich_Media: South Sydney coach Michael Maguire described the Rabbitohs' drubbing at the hands of the Wests Tigers as "one ugly game".

Adam Reynolds never found his range with the boot, kicking too long, too regularly. Minus the thrust of Inglis on kick returns at the other end of the park, Souths were playing limited yardage and Wests enjoyed all the territory.

Above all,Maguire was peeved with his team’s discipline and warned of recriminations at Redfern this week.

“It was an ugly game of footy,” Maguire said. “It was a bad night for us and it just all came out at once. It’s something we need to look at.

“You could see the frustration building because we couldn’t hold the ball.”

News_Image_File: James Tedesco makes a break in a sensational game for the fullback.

Wests turned the game in frantic periods either side of half-time, that saw them score 20 unanswered points.

Simona scored his first try in the 30th minute after a fortunate review, which found that Brooks had not knocked a Braith Anasta bomb forward in the lead-up.

Four minutes later Tigers appeared to have a strong case for a penalty try when Lowe knocked Richards out as the Tigers winger crouched to score in the corner. Their pleas were ignored, but Simona could not be as he went back-to-back from a blindside rush three tackles after the resultant penalty.

Richards returned after halftime and scored within a minute. Tedesco’s try from Brooks grubber sealed the upset, before Joel Reddy grabbed a consolation double against his old club in the final three minutes.

But after, Farah was most proud of his forwards, whom he conceded might not have prevailed in such nasty circumstances in previous seasons.

“It wasn’t us who got nasty,” Farah said. “There was emotion involved and you don’t take a backward step.

“Everyone talks about their pack but, geez, I would like to give my pack some credit. They were enormous tonight.”